Ex-Congressman in Libya to 'Help' Once Proposed Arming Gadhafi

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Ex-Congressman in Libya to 'Help' Once Proposed Arming Gadhafi

Former Congressman Curt Weldon traveled repeatedly to Libya during the last decade, becoming so close with the Gadhafi regime that the firm Weldon worked for even floated the idea of selling arms to Tripoli.

So now that Gadhafi is under assault from NATO airstrikes and rebel ground troops, it should come as no surprise that Weldon is back in Libya, "to try to help negotiate a political settlement with Gadhafi and family," according to CNN.

And while Weldon's there, the controversial former vice chair of the House Armed Services Committee is looking to do a little image repolishing for himself.

It wasn't long ago – April, 2008, to be exact – that Weldon was boasting in a report that he had become the "1st non-Libyan Board Member of the Ghadaffi Foundation." During a trip to Tripoli the month before, the self-proclaimed "friend of Libya" carried "a personal letter from Libyan Chamber [of Commerce] President to U.S. Chamber President." Weldon also visited with with the country's "Nuclear Ministry Leadership and agreed to reinforce U.S. nuclear cooperation/collaboration."

Two weeks later, Defense Solutions – a company which, at the time, counted Weldon as a key executive and adviser – drew up a proposal to refurbish the country's fleet of armored vehicles, including its T-72 tanks, BMP-1 infantry fighting vehicles and BTR-60 armored personnel carriers.

"Besides refurbishing these vehicles, we are capable of providing a full logistics-support package, including a two-year supply of spare parts, maintenance and repair services, and operator, maintenance and repair training," the letter states.

(As Danger Room's Sharon Weinberger reported at the time, the deal was never carried out. Defense Solutions CEO Timothy Ringgold denied sending the proposal, and claimed his signature on it was a forgery.)

But not all hope is lost, Weldon adds. "First, we must engage face-to-face with Colonel Qaddafi and persuade him to leave, as my delegation hopes to do. I’ve met him enough times to know that it will be very hard to simply bomb him into submission."

Of course, it would've been considerably harder to do so, if Gadhafi had received the military help Weldon's associates once proposed.